Crews from CSX Transportation upgrade a railroad crossing Wednesday on Hampshire Street in Auburn. Traffic was snarled most of the afternoon as the train dropped sections of track to be installed later. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
AUBURN — Residents and commuters were hung up at several downtown railroad crossings Wednesday, including Spring and Hampshire streets, while CSX Transportation did maintenance work and dropped sections of tracks to be installed later.
A train with an unknown number of cars crawled along the tracks. Eastbound traffic was effectively cut off for hours.
The CSX crews said they were not allowed to comment.
Lewiston & Auburn Railroad Co. President Jonathan Labonte said he was not aware any work was being done Wednesday, noting the company is separate from CSX.
Labonte said after CSX bought parts of Pan-Am Railways last June, the company promised millions of dollars in upgrades to the Auburn area. New tracks are the priority now, Labonte said, but a second phase will bring better crossings and quiet zones that will eliminate horns. He said the Federal Railroad Administration awarded grants to some CSX projects.
“We expect over time (work) will allow longer trains and faster transportation which will cut down on wait time in traffic,” Labonte said.
The improvements create a significant opportunity to connect local business to larger markets, Labonte said.
“It’ll be a serious boon for Auburn,” Mayor Jason Levesque said. “But I got stuck behind it, too … These are just growing pains and we’ll be working to improve communication with (CSX).”
The traffic standstill was reportedly a concern to the city’s emergency first responders.
Deputy Fire Chief Matthew Fifield said his department was not aware of the work and he first heard of it from a social media post.
“We did have a 911 emergency … today that had some impact, but (I’m) not aware that it delayed our response of the first arriving units,” Fifield said.
CSX Transportation did not respond to questions about Wednesday’s work or ongoing projects.
Workers CSX Transportation upgrade a railroad crossing Wednesday on Spring Street in Auburn. Traffic was snarled most of the afternoon as the slow moving train dropped off sections of track to be installed later. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
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